As most of you know, St Jude Auction events get a free pass on the PowWow no matter the event....as is the case here.
Smokin Joe won the trip, and so I knew who was coming, and was excited as all heck to get this trip under way since I'd been nowhere since I'd been 'under the knife' back in December just days after I'd first met Joe.
Joe met up with me on Friday evening a few weeks ago, and we had some chit chat and unloaded our gear and groceries and drove a short distance down the road to meet up with our Sponsor/Donator Tee Bone of Badger Broadheads so he could meet Joe and show us our sections of Noontootla Creek we would be fishing the next day.
Tee Bone always the gracious host made a great 1st impression with Joe, and likewise. After some small talk we piled into Joe's Cherokee and Tee Bone took us on a tour and we got out to show Joe the creek in several places.
Tee Bone had to get back to 'close shop' and he gave Joe and I permission to let me take Joe to a spot they called 'The Aquarium'. It was still early, like 5 O'clock and we saw a fish here, and a fish there, and they were nice fish. We kept moving back and forth to 4 view points and about 5:30 the 'Aquarium' came alive, now with some sho-nuff 'Hammers' showing. This is a special spot, but very hard to fish, but it had our expectations raised to the point of wondering if we'd get any sleep that night....
Getting back to the 'Farm House' we dinned on some fine BBQ and Brunswick Stew after starting out with chips n salsa. Chips and salsa was the start of every dinner. I guess we started a tradition. Two types of salsa, cheese dip, and a Cajun crab dip was the appetizer of choice every night.
Soon after we started spreading out our attack on the kitchen table.....
Joe, mulling over our collective ammo for the coming weekend(some of which included flies I'd won on the St Judes donated by Curt Cabrera).....
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish1a.JPG)
Another View.....
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish2a.JPG)
Now after a couple of hours of deliberating and strategics, we called it a day and 'hoped' to get some sleep by counting trout instead of sheep. :D
Now bear with me....as I have a lot of pics and clips to load up, but he scenery will be worth it.
I rose and got started and let Joe count a few more trout than me before I stirred him, then the eggs. Not just any eggs, but eggs with a bit of Dale's sauce, Apple Wood spice and Sharpe Cheddar...every morning I had a different egg recipe. We also had sausage, but I think ya'll know what sausage patties look like....but these are some hearty eggs right here....As my Uncle would say, we need to get fortified!!!
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish3a2.JPG)
My vest and camera were ready, and new wading boots waiting to be broke in....
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish3a1.JPG)
Joe's vest pack was also prepared for action...
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish4a.JPG)
One of Curt's gnarly stone flies poised for battle...
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish6a.JPG)
Let's start the day....
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish5a.JPG)
:campfire: I can hear the splashing now and the cry of "fish on" !
Noontootla Creek is a artificial only trophy stream running through a national forest in N GA, we would fish 'up there' on day two, but today we were fishing a private section lower down stream. So, Day Two will have completely different scenery, so stay with us....
A few more pics and a couple of clips....and then a bit about Smokin Joe...
1st run approach.....
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish7a.JPG)
About Joe's 3rd cast, he had an 18 incher bust his dry fly and dart forward and torpedo out of the water and spun left in a violent rotation.....unfortunately the spin snapped off his fly. Nice start to say the least.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish9a.JPG)
I thought Joe had covered this well and I cut the camera off just 2 seconds before the trout struck.
Smokin Joe short clip 1 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml2emrV8Cv0&feature=youtu.be)
As Joe was retying, another trout about 22 inches long rocketed out of the creek 2 feet over the water and about 5 feet forward just ahead in the same run....Wow, this was getting crazy....here's Joe trying at the rocket fish just ahead of where the 1st one broke him off. I filmed several times but I missed the surface hit from the rocket fish that hit so hard he just knocked the fly out of the water.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish10a.JPG)
Once again, I'd failed to get this explosion that happened on the next cast.
Smokin Joe short clip 2 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAyZLJ3fX9U&feature=youtu.be)
Here Joe considered the rocket trout might have moved ahead in the same run and is still after him hoping for a 2nd hit...
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish11a.JPG)
Joe gets yet another fly knocked out of the water here on the very next run....
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish13a.JPG)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish14a.JPG)
Joe is quiet a remarkable man in many ways, he knows more than he lets on in many aspects of life, and he's a dang good fisherman, stream reader, and a great caster.
Sometimes less is more, as is the case with Joe and me carrying on about him. You just have to spend some time with him to find out that HE'S really 'The Most Interesting Man in the World'. But you wouldn't know it less you pry it out of him.
Not much more to say cept he's welcome at my fire, camp, or home anytime.
Let's get back to fishing.....and once heck of a catch!!!
The dry hits started to subside, and even though he'd had over a dozen by now, the fish weren't cooperating. Not sure if they were just playing with us or slapping at the flies at this point, but several hook ups did occur but were split second connections.
So, Joe changes to a nymph just after one more dry miss right before his hopper met up with the log on the left....
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish16a.JPG)
Now he's nymphing....
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish19a.JPG)
Another nice tight loop cast...
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish20a.JPG)
Joe goes back to a dry on this slow moving deep bend, and I get to learn a new flyfishing phrase....Joe said after a big bulge rose the water up under his hopper..."I just got a Classic Refusal" with a jolly laugh.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish22a.JPG)
Joe dries this BEAUTIFUL run, then nymphs it, and neither of us could believe not one strike, NOT ONE!!! This run looked like you would have to zip up all your vest pockets well down stream and hide the fly on your line till you casted.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish23a.JPG)
Joe with a perfect roll cast that bounced his nymph off the log and into the perfect drift...
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish24a.JPG)
Just have to post one more roll cast... I still believe he's going to catch one! :biglaugh:
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish25a.JPG)
man, you got me itching to get some flies wet. great pics!! looks like a fantastic time was had.
Another deep run with a couple of rises, but not on Joe's fly.....
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish26a.JPG)
But something happened before this pic...on the lower end of this run....the Highlight of the Day....
I just happened to be on the other side of the creek spotting when it happened, and I was also tying on a different fly...so when it did happen, I had to scramble for my camera, turn it on, thought I had it one, cut it off thinking I was turning it on, realized my lens cover was still one, then cut it on but really cutting it off again and finally got the camera running to capture the most important part. Scrambling with that camera was as frustrating as that run on sentence you just read above!!!
And, Joe didn't even have to touch the fish, although I sure would have like to have had a still, the 24 incher had a large twig wrapped around the line at its mouth, and Joe was looking to see if the stick was in its mouth or what when the catch and release happened. The Brute was at his feet for plenty of time for him to net it....turn up the volume AND the HD cause its worth the better quality.
Smokin Joe\\'s 24 Incher - Click Here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJl-hoxKaek)
I'll leave you with a few more pics as we wound down day one, with at least 20 dry hits and a few nymph misses, we connected on the one that counted for sure....and I'll leave you a sneak peek pic of day two's scenery....
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish27a.JPG)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish28a.JPG)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish29a.JPG)
Very nice Terry but all the videos are coming up as "Private video".
Folks,
I'll let Terry tell the rest of the story but before he does, I want to say how much fun I had and what a wonderful host Terry was for the weekend. And, the "icing on the cake" is knowing that all the fun came about because of a contribution to St Jude's.
Great trout water, great food and accommodations, and in the company of wonderful people (Terry, Tee Bone, and Keith). What more could a guy ask for.
Joe
QuoteOriginally posted by Pete McMiller:
Very nice Terry but all the videos are coming up as "Private video".
OK....I'll fix that!!!!
Someone tell me that the video works please!!!
Joe...pile in when ever you want....this thread is more about you than me...and you are correct, about the kids.
I just had the time today and took it...still working on pics....
:campfire:
Sorry about that guys...I thought private meant if you had the address it would play(meaning posting it here)...I guess its just for folks that subscribe to your channel....learn something every day....no wonder Joe couldn't view it earlier.
QuoteOriginally posted by Terry Green:
Someone tell me that the video works please!!!
Yes I just watched one of them...... :thumbsup:
The videos worked for me Terry. Great story and pics! Thanks!
Video worked for me T.
It looks like you both had a great time, congrats
:clapper: :clapper: :goldtooth: :goldtooth:
Video worked for me, great looking water ...
We headed in...from a long day of wading, and lunch was long gone. So, the 1ts thing I did was light up the grill so the coals would be ready by the time we got out of our gear and prepared supper....of course, enjoying our appetizer as well.
I'd picked the right night for the steaks, great for celebrating the day and a toast to that wonderful rainbow that let Joe trick him. With sides of asparagus and camp fried potatoes.
We then regrouped our gear for tomorrow and settled in for some highly educated conversation.....95% being from Joe of course, I just told a few stories. :D
Anyhow, my education wound down around 11 and we got to bed for some healing for the next day.....in the mountains.
I hadn't been up there in a while, and I had called my friend Keith and told him and quized him on just where our last two outings had been up there when we hammered them. Well, Keith said, I'll just come up there in the morning and show you...and so he did.
Keith showed up as Joe and I were having scrambled eggs with provolone cheese, cream, and lemon pepper added, and again sausage. Keith and Joe chatted a bit, and Keith got his education via cliff notes as we had some fishing to do.
Away we went...to this spot Keith said I would remember as I caught 5 out of there the last time. But, we couldn't get to it straight down as easy as we could if we walked down the road and crossed over to the other side and walked back....that was the plan...then fish up stream.
Well, once we got to the creek, I told Joe to go ahead and fish the beautiful hole just upstream 1st with dries, and when we got back to it he could nymph it. He had 7 dry fly hits in that 1st hole, and dagnabbit if they weren't just slapping at his dries again.
We then walked down to the big rock to fish our way back up with several great holes and runs back to where we started. Not one bite at that big rock, and not any of the 3 of us could believe it.
We went upstream and more slaps at dries...to the point of all we could do was laugh. Then Joe even threw in a nymph and hooked two NICE wild trout and both came off. Both had Joe's rod definitely bent.
We got back to where we put in and Joe just had to throw another dry in and low and behold another NICE wild trout hooked up, and the rod making the Big C. Keith said, after it came off too, 'that trout was so big the other ones were using him for shade'.
Lots on beauty all around, and a lot of holes fished that we were stumped didn't bring a strike, then 3 or 4 strikes on others....and yet these fish were toying with us...but we were having as much fun as they were....they knew we'd been there.
I have to tell ya...what Keith and I both enjoyed the most was the mastery of Joe's casting as he continued to thread needle after needle in some tight lanes...this guy was GOOD.
Here's a few pics and I'll post more tomorrow...
SEVEN dry fly hits from lower to the right of the biggest rock.....
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish36a.JPG)
Then downstream hike to the big rock....
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish37a.JPG)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish38a.JPG)
Keith checking Joe's positioning on run above big rock.....Note Joe's hat and rod...
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish39a.JPG)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish39a1.JPG)
Head of next run above big rock....
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish40a.JPG)
Check out the intense look on Joe's face....he's after em!!! A great pic of Smokin Joe...
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish41a.JPG)
Sorry, cleared up the grammar on that last post...I'm whooped and its showing.
See ya'll tomorrow....
:archer:
Great stuff bud!!
Looks like a heck of a good time!!!
Joe at the head fishing the off side seam of the same run....
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish31a.JPG)
Just a side note...we had 3 rods on the stream, and we'd just hand Joe a different one at a run, with a different fly, so he wouldn't have to retie all day long...
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish32a.JPG)
The next hole...
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish33a.JPG)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish34a.JPG)
This is another run Joe dominated with his casting skills,,,...time and time again, as he moved forward, he cast again and again between the vegetation. You can see, if you look close, the dead limbs and twigs on the right as well as the live mountain laurel on the left....
At the lower end of this run Joe's 1st cast was perfect as well as the drift and the was the largest dry hit of the day...the commode literally flushed!!! Joe turned around to see the same look on both Keith and my faces. Man that was a dandy!!!
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish35a.JPG)
A stealthy attack at a simply gorgeous section....
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish42a.JPG)
Supper was calling, ...we'd had a wonderful day on the stream and here's Joe heading back after finally connection on a small but, extremely colorful wild N GA trout...
Smokin Joe\\'s wild Mountain Rainbow (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdV7AoL9QyU)
Ending on that note...here's Joe heading back for the climb out....
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish43a.JPG)
I'll leave ya with a few more parting pics and comments.
Thanks to Joe for being the winning bidder, it will be a trip I'll never forget for many reasons.
Thanks to Tee Bone of Badger Broadheads and Noontootla Creek Farms for donating the trip and letting me host. The weather was perfect, but this time of year can be feast or famine due to the heat...and just like hunting....that's fishing. But, we did manage to get Joe on his biggest fish to date I believe, and the scenery would be hard to match here in the eastern mountains.
And finally, thanks to my great friend Keith for coming and donating his time, effort and knowledge all the while never casting once.
Our last dinner included Keith, and some half pound bacon and cheddar burgers....and of course, along with chips n dips.
Thanks again to all, and I hope to do it again next year......
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish44a.JPG)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish45a.JPG)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/joetfish45a1.JPG)
:campfire:
It was a great time in a beautiful place. The big trout was quite an experience. Terry and I saw the trout from the opposite side of the creek. He was quietly laying in one spot moving from side to side taking nymphs near the bottom. I re-rigged with a hopper/dropper set up. The hopper was about a size 10 foam hopper and the dropper was a 16 bead head sparkle pupa. I had seen a couple of caddie flies flying around the water and thought that their nymphs might be on the trout menu.
I went downstream and found a place to cross without making too much commotion, then I slowly worked into a casting position. On about my third cast the trout slowly moved out if sight and worked his way away from me. I lengthened my cast, made another cast, and got a great drift past where I thought he went. The hopper disappeared and I knew he had taken the sparkle pupa. Fish on. I knew right away that I was into a big trout. He made two long and strong runs upstream. His strength was impressive. After the second long run I managed to slowly work him in - closer and closer. At last I had him in sight. He had a stick about a foot long and an inch in diameter that looked like it went in his mouth and out his right gill. As I got him closer I saw that the leader was wraped around the stich and had it cinched up to the ride of his head. That was a lot of stress to put on a 4x leader. I worked him up to my feet and as I was wondering how to get him untangled from the stick when he gave one last shake and the leader broke at the stick and he slowly swam away. As they say in trout fishing, "the tug is the drug" and that mighty trout put up an incredible fight - that fight that keeps you coming back to a great stream again and again. It is good that I didn't have to handle him to get him unhooked. He swam away as if nothing had happened. A fish like that one needs to live to be caught again. Unfortunately, the fly he took was the only one of that type in that size that I had. And he took it with him when he broke off. I had found, and then lost, the fly that the big trout wanted.
And.... I am determined to be the winning bidder again next year. It is a great place to fly fish for trout.
Yes, Terry, my previous biggest trout was a 23" rainbow about five years ago. Ours was at least a 24" fish and my largest to date. Of course, any trout over 20" is a fish of a lifetime.
Wow. What a great trip.
Great Trip Guys! Good recap and picture Terry. I agree, you would be hard pressed to meet a better fella than Joe.
just .... AWESOME!!! in every way!!!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: